14 of the most pathetic Premier League debut seasons

Sometimes, when a big signing doesn’t work out it’s understandable. Perhaps they had a small injury or tried their hardest but couldn’t adapt, however, sometimes you just have to ask: “do you even have legs?”.

These are by far the most pathetic debut seasons for players at new clubs, and one way or another they all failed to make the desired impact. Big time.

Afonso Alves

Ugh. We were all so excited to see a fella come over to the Prem who was billed as the next van Nistelrooy, especially after he smashed in 45 goals for Heerenveen in just 39 games. But no; just no. Afonso Alves was absolutely shocking and the less said about him, the better. Get in the bin. Image Source: Twitter

Mario Balotelli

Whilst Mario did a relatively solid job during his turbulent time at Manchester City, his tenure at Liverpool was nothing short of abysmal. He resembled a drunk version of Emile Heskey during his time at Anfield. Image Source: Twitter

Andy Carroll

Andy Carroll went from untouchable to useless donkey in the space of a few months, and that is quite the impressive feat. Image Source: Twitter

Memphis Depay

Newsflash to Memphis - the odd good game in the Europa League against part-timers and builders doesn't make you a superstar. Image Source: Twitter

Angel Di Maria

Angel started his United career how everyone thought he would - on fire. Unfortunately that dwindled out quicker than you could say 'flop', and he couldn't get away from Old Trafford quick enough. Image Source: Twitter

Radamel Falcao

This fella came to England as one of the most feared strikers across Europe. There was nothing he couldn't do, however, we soon learned what he could do was fail miserably in the best league in the world. His hefty wages were not justified and he waddled away from his debut season a shell of his former self. Shame. Image Source: Twitter

Diego Forlan

What an absolute car crash. Diego Forlan was seen as a saviour for Manchester United but that couldn't have been further from the case. His first of two years at Old Trafford was painfully bad, and Fergie will forever be wondering just what it was that led to him not creating the form he eventually did in Spain. Image Source: Twitter

Gervinho

What a forehead. Now, with that out of the way, Gervinho was poor. The Ivory Coast forward gained alot of critics in his short stay at the Emirates, with many continually lambasting him for poor performances week in and week out. So much was expected, and so very little was actually delivered. Image Source: Twitter

Patrick Kluivert

Some may have forgotten that the great Patrick Kluivert once performed on the grand stage of the Premier League, and it's pretty understandable. The former Barca star's one-year at St James' Park ended with six goals, before he tucked his tail between his legs and went running away from the England as fast as he could. Image Source: Twitter

Claudio Pizarro

Pitiful is the only real word that can be used to describe Claudio Pizarro. The Peruvian netted just twice for the Blues after so much was expected of him in England. The bloke was potentially one of the biggest disappointments in Premier League history, and that's saying something considering the vast competition in that department. Image Source: Twitter

Bryan Ruiz

Bryan Ruiz had that Samaras feel about him, in the sense that he seemed forever destined to fail. The Costa Rican just seemed lost during his time at Fulham and for whatever reason, everything he did outside of the Premier League was not replicated in the English top flight. A shame considering his actual talent. Image Source: Twitter

Mohamed Salah

Some how, some way, Chelsea made a profit on this bloke. Image Source: Twitter

Roque Santa Cruz

Four goals in 24 appearances for Manchester City after a 20-goal season for Blackburn is, to be honest, quite funny. Image Source: Twitter

Juan Sebastian Veron

The man who United fans love to despise - Juan Sebastian Veron. There were very high expectations for the midfielder upon his arrival at Old Trafford, and to say he didn't live up to them would be a drastic understatement. He looked more like a bald Dr Cortex than an actual professional footballer. Image Source: Twitter

Quite amazingly, Radamel Falcao was given the chance at two debut seasons. And with two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs. Actually, so was Juan Sebastian Veron; why an earth do the Red Devils and the Blues think that they can get something out of a player the other couldn’t?

If you’re a fan of any of the sides that acquired these players, our heart truly goes out to you. It’s at this point you’re probably throwing your burnt replica shirts at the screen and sobbing into a large bottle of vodka. Blame them.

I'm a 22-year-old sports journalist covering football, MMA, NFL, WWE and more. I'm a Wolves fan, because for some reason I enjoy misery and heartache season after season.
Forever dreaming of a team of Steve Bulls.